POLITICS + GOVERNMENT
Robert Jeffress delivers prayer at US Embassy in Jerusalem, despite concerns
May 14, 2018, 11:47 AM | Updated: 12:08 pm
(ABC NEWS)
SALT LAKE CITY — Mitt Romney criticized the choice of a Texas Baptist pastor, Robert Jeffress, for opening prayer for the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
Robert Jeffress says “you can’t be saved by being a Jew,“ and “Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell.” He’s said the same about Islam. Such a religious bigot should not be giving the prayer that opens the United States Embassy in Jerusalem.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) May 14, 2018
Romney tweeted Sunday night that Jeffress is a “religious bigot,” who has criticized Jews, Mormons, and Islam in the past.
Jeffress has been under fire for attacks specifically on Romney in the past. During the 2012 Presidential campaign, he told reporters before a campaign event that voters should not support Romney because he believed the LDS faith is a cult, a comment he later backed down from.
Jeffress responded on Twitter.
Historic Christianity has taught for 2,000 years that salvation is through faith in Christ alone. The fact that I, along with tens of millions of evangelical Christians around the world, continue to espouse that belief, is neither bigoted nor newsworthy.
— Dr. Robert Jeffress (@robertjeffress) May 14, 2018
“These were comments ripped out of context from years ago,” he told “Fox and Friends First” early Friday morning before the ceremony. “Historic Christianity for 2,000 years has taught that salvation is through faith in Christ alone. The fact that I and tens of millions of evangelical Christians still believe that is not bigoted and it is not newsworthy,” he said.
Utah Senate Democratic candidate Jenny Wilson also criticized the choice of Jeffress to speak.
You can watch Jeffress’ prayer at the event here on YouTube.